1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the packaging art and has particular reference to an improved package for fragile merchandise such as electric lamp bulbs, and to an improved sleeve component that is utilized in the package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the merchandising of fragile articles such as electric lamp bulbs that have glass envelopes which can be easily broken during shipment or subsequent handling at the retail level by store personnel or prospective customers, suitable packaging must be provided which will protect the merchandise from damage.
In the case of incandescent lamp bulbs of the type used in the home, the desired protection is generally obtained by placing one or more of the bulbs into a so-called wrapper of tubular open-ended construction that is fabricated from single-faced corrugated paperboard and is dimensioned to effect a snug fit with the bulbous-shaped portions of the lamp envelopes. The resulting lamp pack is of rectangular configuration and is inserted into an open-ended sleeve that is also of rectangular tubular configuration and fabricated from single-faced corrugated paperboard. The lamp pack is inserted into the sleeve in such a manner that the open ends of the wrapper are covered and closed by opposite walls of the sleeve. The sleeve is thus referred to as an "overwrap" in the art. The corrugated surface of the sleeve material constitute the inner wall surfaces of the sleeve and the interaction between the sleeve corrugations and engaged edges of the wrapper is relied upon to keep the wrapper and contained lamp bulbs within the sleeve. However, since the sleeve is rather flimsy, it does not positively or reliably "grip" the wrapper. As a result, the lamp pack frequently fell out of the sleeve. It was also difficult to imprint the uneven outer surfaces of the corrugated-paperboard sleeve with information regarding the lamp type, etc. The resulting package thus left much to be desired from the standpoint of strength, neatness and retention of the packed lamp bulbs.
A lamp bulb package which employs the prior art combination of a bulb wrapper and outer sleeve that are both fabricated from single-faced corrugated paperboard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,472 issued Oct. 6, 1953 to R. T. White.
To overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and deficiencies, a modified lamp package has evolved in which the outer sleeve of single-faced corrugated paperboard is replaced by a sleeve that is fabricated from boxboard (that is, a stiff single-ply type of packaging material that is devoid of corrugations and thus has smooth even surfaces). While such boxboard sleeves are satisfactory from the standpoint of strength and printing neatness and clarity, the smooth inner surfaces of the sleeve are inherently incapable of frictionally "gripping" the edges of the inserted corrugated paperboard wrapper with sufficient tenacity to prevent the lamp pack from falling out of the sleeve while the package is being handled by clerks or prospective customers. Such incidents are not only irritating and embarrassing but are economically intolerable should the dislodged pack strike the counter or floor with sufficient force to break the glass envelopes or otherwise damage the packaged lamps.
It accordingly would be very desirable from an economical and merchandising standpoint to provide a lamp bulb package which utilizes an outer sleeve that is fabricated from boxboard material but is so constructed that it automatically locks the lamp pack within the sleeve in a positive and reliable manner and thus circumvents the "lamp drop-out" problem.